The invention concerns a method, a print system, a computer system and a computer program to generate an electronic document from scanned image data.
In particular, the method and system relates to a system in which electronic documents are assembled page by page from scanned image data. The image data can, for example, be generated in that samples are sampled (scanned) and the image data thereby generated are filed page by page and pixel by pixel in an electronic storage. However, the data can just as well be generated completely electronically, i.e. be generated and/or scanned on an electronic device such as, for example, computer.
A method and a system to process structured images in electronically stored documents is known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,503.
Raster scan editor programs are known for processing of documents that exist as pages in scanned image formats. Such a program is, for example, available from the form Techsoft AS, Sandefjord, Norway under the trade name Pixedit®).
In the publication “The World of Printer”, Dr. Gerd Goldmann (Hsg.). 5th edition (June 2000), Océ Printing Systems GmbH (Poing), ISBN 3-00-001081-5, what is known as a PRISMApro Server System is specified in chapter 11, that serves to generate electronic documents and to prepare the documents for a high-speed digital printing systems. A method and a system to impose print data is specified in WO 00.68877 A1 that is suitable for preparation of print data for such a high-speed print system.
A print device to print overlay formats is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,944,614. Repetitive fixed image data and variable image data are stored in a storage. Furthermore, the print device comprises a format storage in which image data are stored corresponding to a formula for each document page. The image data of the format storage, the fixed image data as well as the variable image data, are combined with one another for printing.
The documents WO 00/68877 by the same applicant as well as JP 07182321 A and U.S. Pat. No. 5,715,382 are referred to as further prior art.